Hidden in the Heart
by Knight's Bouquet
Summary: Cuts, a fever, along with the annoyance of Krile's pet moogles, Faris tries her best to overcome the wounds and sickness. Faris X Bartz. This story could possibly be shared from other characters point of view later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hidden in the Heart**

** Chapter 1: The Blond Pirate**

''Krile, i-it's not funny!'' Bartz blushed at their conversation about the other females in the party. He could remember seeing Lenna for the first time crowded by those monsters where the meteorite landed. Then his mind zipped through to the time he, Lenna, and Galuf were captured by Faris' pirate crew. However, when Krile brought up Faris wearing a dress, his face turned from one expression to another. These are definitely the type of situations that Bartz would shy away from.

''Oh, Bartz! If you want to you can always be... you know...'' Putting her hand to her face, Krile giggled mischievously while backing away from the stairs where she sat. Bartz, looking as if he were going to throw a fit like a very young child, scowled at Krile. He seemed to be thinking of why he'd ever mentioned the beginning of his journey in the first place. Raising up from the bench, Bartz moved closer to Krile. He knew she was up to something! "Hey, come back here!'' Running to catch up to the hills where the inn layed, the young man rushed there in worry.

Krile barged into the room where she had last seen Lenna and came to the door. She couldn't wait to tell Lenna about Bartz's reaction from the apparel he'd love to see her sister in. However, Bartz was the first to speak. ''Lenna, listen to her! I-what I said didn't come out right!'' Lenna stared wildly at her two friends who came straight to her. ''Calm down! What do you two want?'' Footsteps could be heard from downstairs coming up to the second floor. They were so busy talking that they hadn't noticed Faris' presence at all.

_Bartz and Krile are at it again, _Faris thought to herself_. I need to leave, before they notice how long I've been gone_. Standing still, Faris held the stair railing and looked back at the room with Bartz, Krile, and her sister Lenna. Caressing her arm in a cautious manner, Faris went downstairs. _Why let them see my injuries? It'll only worry them. Besides, Lenna would be too hasty to think about anything else—besides me, her sister._

Looking down at her neck, Faris feels shame creeping up her spine._ I lost my pendant, how would father feel he saw me right now? Would Lenna be upset? What a stupid question! Of course she's be enraged, furious... All I can remember is peeking inside that abandoned ship__ and wondering if anyone knew it was there. Next thing I know, the pendant is gone._

''Guess I'll try again.'' Faris steps down quietly to the inn's front desk. _Is anyone downstairs?_ Taking a look look into the hallway, Faris saw no one. _How can that be?_ Thinking to herself in silence, a distraught old man suddenly stood at her feet._ ''_Empty already? I blame that ship! I bet it was a group of bandits, hiding in the shadows to harm others. Pirates do that kind of stuff, you know._''_

Chuckling was Faris' response to the old man. _Oh, so we lurk in the shadows and and steal, huh? I shouldn't take this geezer seriously__, seeing that he comes up to me starting a rather obnoxious complaint._ ''Pirates, what a shame none of Walz's or Karnak's soldiers haven't taken any of them out. Kidnapping princesses, stealing children through those malicious waves! Don't you understand?'' Galloping in circles around Faris, the old guy stopped. ''Oh, I see now! You're not taking me seriously, knowing that you are one to support those fools. What else can I expect form a group of adventurers who stole the crystals, anyhow!''

_What is wrong with him? We didn't steal the crystals, we -_ ''I know who you are, but you will **NOT** corrupt me! Everyone else is wrong! You should be locked in jail for all of your doings!'' Opening the door, the manager came in, nervous. ''Sir, stay out. You are not welcome in here! Last night you trashed the whole place! Please leave and stop harassing guests!'' Banging his stick onto the wall, the old man left, slamming the door on his way out. Sighing, the manager apologizes.

Walking away from the inn and now outside, Faris ran down a hill covered with vines, thorns, rocks, boulders, and thick fallen branches. They were now enemies of man. _Now I recall being right by the ship, and my pendant still hanged from my neck. Water submerged the ship's first floor, so it's useless to navigate it, let alone steal it. What if the soil kept the pendant hidden? No, no sign of it here. Guess I'll head back._

Faris' leg is tugged by a silly kind of moogle. ''Kupo! Kupo!'' _I'm really getting tired of seeing them._ ''Kupo!'' The moogle points to a string tied to a tree. _Does it want me to pull the string down?_

''Ku-po!_'' _The moogle pokes Faris' neck. Krile's moogle, Mog, always plays around with her pendant. _Wait, is this Krile's pet, Mog? Krile's anklet is in Mog's teeth! _Mog climbed on Faris' shoulder, sleepy.

Tmp, tmp, tmp. A man kicks his way across the water sweating heavily. Sunlight shined over him while his eyes was closed. Everything seemd to be a peace under his guidance. Who is he? Brown hair, blue clothes, skin that lets him boil to death. Tilting slightly upon his back stood a sword. Being soaked didn't phase the heat preying upon him while running in Faris' direction. She took no caution of this man, and a hand tapped her shoulder.

_'_'Faris!'' Faris looks up, and who she saw standing over her gave out such a smile. ''What are you doing here?'' Bartz sees Faris' neck; there was no pendant. ''Oh, your pendant is gone.'' Hmm... How could I cheer her up?, Bartz thought.

''Faris, I'll help you out tomorrow. Today Lenna wants me to help help decide where we're going to stay next week. Not that I can't help, but before you went out it you were not wearing it. Last time I've seen it, it was laying on your coat.'' Bartz holds out his hand to Faris. ''Let's go, soon it'll be dark.''

._..She's not listening. If only I could be there for you, to let you know that everything will be all right and you need to be free of worries._ Bartz crouches down next to faris. ''Faris, the last thing I would want is for you to be stressed and stay out here all night. Your safety matters to me!''

''Bartz! You're worried so much about me...'' ''In order for me to protect you, being here is very important. Promise methat you'll take it easy, okay?'' Faris looks up at Bartz cracking a grin. '' I promise.''

Walikng back to Walz's inn. Bartz stops. Unzipping his jacket, the wraps it around Faris. ''The jacket will keep you warm.'' He sees that her body has scrapes and marks. ''What happended here? Take that, it should work just fine!'' Bartz gives Faris treatment on her arms with ointment. ''Alcohol should work better, but at least I helped!'' Giving Faris a thumps up sign, Bartz hugged her afterwards. They were now at the inn. so it was time to part ways.

''Good night, Faris!'' Bartz hops up to his room. Mog, who sat on Faris' shoulder, flew away to Krile's room. Thinking about how friendly Bartz was outside, Faris blushed slightly. Heh, he wants to protect me... No, I won't be dependent on him, Faris thought with the movement of shaking her head. I can't believe myself, wanting to be open to Bartz affection. The pendant must have kept my sense as well.

_I will miss having him do that stuff, however. Surprising._


	2. Chapter 2: Fever

Note: This chapter is written in Faris' POV. Bartz, Faris, Krile, and etc. are not owned or created by me. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 2: Fever**

_Now that my arm has shown signs of healing, I head off for bed. I've been so tired after coming back to the inn I almost picked up Krile's pet moogle, thinking it was my pillow. After hearing ''Kupo! Kupo!'' so much I realized the moogle was not my pillow-and that it was literally fighting the door before I snatched 'em away._

_My eyesight must have not been working right at all. Tears are consuming them right up, swelling fast from my eyelids. Worst of all, vicious heat burns my cheeks. Why am I feeling this way?_

_I cover myself up, trying to drift off to sleep. Only that it leads to a terrible migraine._

Knock. _I'm not answering that door._

Knock, knock. _Who is this? Why do they keep knocking on the door? Isn't it obvious I'm not coming out?_

_The door creeks open, and then I see that it's Lenna._

_Hmph. So this explains all the stubborn knocking. Typical, typical._

''Faris, wake up. Krile wants her moogle back." _Her moogle, eh? Why would_ _I want that weird lil' old guy of hers? That thing is too much for me._

''Kupo! Kupo!'' _Another moogle runs out from underneath the bed..._

''Wait, now what the-''

''Faris, you're sick, aren't you?'' Lenna puts her hand to my forehead.

_Yep, sadly Lenna's got the right idea._

''Oh, Faris, you're so troublesome. Krile told me that you and Bartz...'' Lenna looked down at her toes. ''I can't say if it's true, but she said Mog was with you two.''

''Yeah, but Mog wandered off alone. He even had the nerve to climb up on my shoulder!'' Lenna brushed through her sister's hair to wipe off a leaf. ''Where were you all this time? I know that wouldn't stand for staying here often, but finding leaves in your hair and a fever leaves me weary...'' Lenna sees another leaf, but instead Faris held it tightly in her hand.

''You know that Bartz has been worried you, too, right?'' ''Bartz, worried?'' Faris rolls her head into the pillow and turns red. _I'm trying to hide it, I guess everything will be back to normal after Lenna leaves._ ''Well...'' _My face keeps turning red; I'm blushing now. Did I ever like Bartz this much? No, this isn't true! Why would I have affection for him anyway?_

''Stop hiding behind your pillow.'' Lenna snatches Faris' pillow, and stares in shock at her sister's harsh breathing. ''What's with you? Don't tell me you don't know.'' Faris grabs her hair, twirling all of her hairs to look innocent. ''I didn't know about the ship outside the inn, so I checked it out and...'' _Then you noticed your pendant is gone, correct? There's no way I could tell Lenna. I feel so bad, but it's not necessarily for my sake._ Twitch, twitch. Yanking Faris' soft blond hair Mog jumped up and down for a hug. ''No, leave. Me and Lenna are talking!''

''You're so mean Faris, being all shy like that. Admit it, showing your friendlier side isn't easy, huh? '' Krile steps to Mog's side. ''Come on, you know Mog isn't bad or anything! Maybe if you weren't a pirate you'd come intact to your feminine side. ''Oh, be quiet. If anyone should find a ''side'', you could possibly find one to keep those stuffed animals in your room.'' ''Bleh!'' Krile gives Faris an irritated response back, sticking out her tongue. Krile truns to Lenna. ''What do you say, Lenna?''

Agreeing, Lenna nods her head jokingly. ''Mm-hm, Faris isn't so lady-like. _Who are they to judge me? _''Kupo!'' ''Kupo!'' Mog stomps on the carpet. Krile gasps. ''Wait, you don't think so? Aww. Look like the little guy's got a new crush! Faris, Mog's found his very special person!'' Mog slaps Krile's shoes, wanting her to stop blurting out his thoughts. ''Look is one attribute Mog loves! Isn't he just the perfect babe magnet?''

''No Krile, he's just picking up habits from Bartz,'' Faris smirked. ''Oh, how mean! Bartz isn't your ideal figure, Mog? Does Bartz influence you?,'' Krile questioned. Mog taunts Faris by pulling her hair. Tossing Mog onto the floor,, the girl glares to Krile. ''Mog can go flirt somewhere else, and if he pulls my hair again I'll toss him to Bartz!'' Confused, Lenna mutters under her breath. ''Faris, calm down. Mog's admiration!'' is obviously from hitting on you!'' ... _These girls have problems, and I could really blame the clueless adventurer and the old man for this, _Faris thought to herself.

''Joking or not, would either of you want a living plushie to be hitting on you that isn't even two feet tall? Uncomfortable, right? Why can't Mog stay in check?'' Facing her friend, Krile shrugs. ''Give him a break, he's still an infant1 Kids crush on people they look up to, right?'' Faris pokes out her bottom lip, feeling horrible for the fact that Mog will never leave her alone. None of them knew however that Bartz was right next door, hearing everything that was said about him.

Sneaking by to chat, Bartz pushes the door open. ''Habits from me? Don't act like you didn't think Mog was adorable, pirate girl!'' Shocked, Faris clutched her pillow. ''Mog annoys me, nothing is cute about that stuffed bear, I-'' ''Shame! You even hugged the rascal! I was thee, you know!'' Lenna picks up Mog, frustrated by thew way this conversation continued. ''Kupo...'' Whining, Mog leaped beside Faris. ''Is it really that bad,'' Lenna replies. ''Giggle, well Mog is throwing a temper tantrum because he looks up to his mommy!'' Krile laughed. Letting the thought of ''mommy'' come to mind, Bartz shields his face. He'd never thought he'd live to hear Krile pick on Faris this intentionally!

''Mothers are supposed to love their children Please Faris, show your true side to Mog! Having a mommy will be a great experience for us! We're family right, and as family we must support and encourage showing affection to your little brother as the older sister would be so generous!'' Knowing that Krile was tackling any signs of anger as best as she can, Lenna and Bartz laughed until they were out of breath.

''Mommy? Really? Krile, I'm twenty years old, I own a ship, and run around with ''farm boy'', ''little princess'', and ''the prep''; I've already lost my chance to watch over anybody.'' Taking offense to Faris' nicknames, Bartz takes action. ''Farm boy, cows and pigs aren't my thing.'' ''Whatever you say, farmer.'' Fairs laughs. ''You're the the first one here who'd ride ride on top of a herd animal while holing your sword in the air to gain attention. And, where do you get the solemn idea of a older sister taking the role of mommy? Sounds weird to me.

''No, no, no, some sisters-'' Losing the stability of being direct, Krile crackles. Lenna shot her beautiful eyes at Faris. _Sarisa, what's going on? All week you've been grouchy, sarcastic... Could it have been me who started thi_s? _Have I said anything to upset her lately that you took to heart?_

About the mommy thing, it's nothing dirty behind it, Krile was just being silly. Faris has gotten herself in quite a mess, huh?

From, Knight's Bouquet.


	3. Moogle, Faris, and Gold Locks

**Chapter 3: Moogles, Faris, and Gold Locks (Bartz's POV)**

_Lenna' and Krile gone now, but I dec__ided to stay be Faris. I wasn't tire, nor was I too insensitive to support her._ ''Faris... Faris...'' _Apparently she falls asleep easily, but it was never this hard waking her up. The tick of a regular clock would usually wake her up; but that's not tonight's case. Sickness_ _makes it harder for people to sleep, right?_ ''Wake up, Faris...'' _Her name took time getting used to whispering in a low voice._

_She's so independent that it's as if she's alone. Stubborn, too; but I'm surprised by this one a bit. I guess being being the leader of your own ship and having everyone work under you can be thrilling, however Faris isn't your average pirate. I wonder, how did Faris feel on that ship? I wonder why none of those guys never came to the conclusion that she was a girl. But hey, some of them did give her love letters._

_This time, I'll whisper her name louder; she'd wake up at the feeling of being called. ''_Kupo! Kupo!'' _Moogles, yes! I know what I'll do. Moogles can be cute and distracting at the same time, a few of their characteristics that annoys Faris the most! ''_Come here, Mog!'' ''Kupo!'' _Mog walks to my feet and I place him on the bed. Saluting for combat, Mog knew what I needed him for. Mog cuddles underneath Faris' neck, yawning from exhaustion. Way to go, Mog!_

_Faris rolls over and stretches her arm out accidentally hitting Mog off the bead. _''Kupo!'' Is she having a bad dream? _Eh, I highly doubt it... '_'Cough!'' _Blond hair moves quickly to the right end of the bed where I stood, and a hand grabbles my back._ _My heart pumps harder at the moment. Did Faris do that to be funny? Her hand takes another swipe at me. '_'Ouch!'' _She should know her own strength by now, and that blow to my back made me lower myself to touch the carpet. _''Stop it, Faris! Wake up!''

''Bartz...'' _I stand up, rubbing my hurt back. Now's she's awake, speaking in such a tone that makes me feel betrayed. Don't try that with me, Faris, I'm now dumb. __'' Bartz, you were...'' __Oh no, she seems to be angry. No matter, this__time __I'll run before her fist flies at me! Gritting her teeth, her breathing becomes louder. _''I lost my pendant, so...'' _Coughing at a more noticeable rate, I see that Faris is awake; eyes teary and red that lose their shine whenever sees upset. Hugging her, I begin to play in those golden locks of hair that down Faris' back Fluttering his wings in worry, Mog comes right up to sit on my shoulder. '_'That pendant's around here somewhere; stop stressing yourself out over it. One of these moogles probably stole it.'' _I grab Mog for proof. _''Mog takes Krile's belongings all the time; his favorites are her anklets.'' _I notice Faris' face, glancing at why I still have my arms wrapped around her.'_'Oh,sorry.''

''Bartz, you shouldn't to apologize.'' _ Faris lifta herself up to sit at the edge of the mattress. As I stare at her in amazement, Faris shyly looks at Mog. Oh boy, I embarrassed her.'_'Thanks, Mog.'' _I mentioned eariler about Faris being like this only around me. There's know way she would be like this with Krile, and I don't know about Lenna._

''By the way, were you out in the rain four days ago? I have don't think you'e found of rain, sailing on that ship on yours you've probably endured hailstorms.'' _I lean right by Faris, holding back the urge to taunt her. Krile rubbed off on me, that's for sure. I wouldn't do this with Lenna, so why do I mess around with Faris so much? Teasing girls has gotten into me trouble before, though, which is why I avoid conflicts with them. I remember when I was eight and stuck my tongue out at our neighbor's daughter for bonking me on the head when I tripped her, and she slapped me! Never will that happen again._''Hailstorms? I stepped outside, risking the outcome of becoming soaked for '_'Clover''_ to come back on home.''

''Clover? Oh, so you _are_ a mommy.'' _Faris blushes._ ''Definitely not! Just someone's pet, that's all. Another moogle at that!'' _Oh, so Clover's Krile's, huh?_

''You told Mog thank you, right? Give the little squirt some love!_'' Mog runs to Faris, hugging her long hair. Can't blame him, she's a pretty girl. ''_Now Mog's content! He was worried too! He'd whine to the girls about seeing you.'' _Faris shows no sign of believing me.'_'I'm not friendly or attractive enough to be seeked after.''_ ''_Then what about those pirates? Mog? Honestly, there's nothing seriously wrong with you. If there's anything that you'd like to change about yourself, then it's not not too late. I like you just the way you are.''

''Really, you're smiling so much; I can tell. Lately I've had a problem with my self confidence, that's all.'' ''I can understand, as humans we all have those moments in life where we question the power we have in ourselves, if we're really certified to trust our own self esteem. As long as we keep climbing through that dark part of us, we can become stronger from it.'' _I rest form lecturing, and I sit by Faris. She gives me a bright smile._

''Kupo!''_ Mog's jealous, wanting to be in on us._ ''Mog's a smart guy, huh? Lenna has medicine for fevers.'' ''Bartz, get my hair band for me. I've lost the ability to keep it down in years. _Heh, she really is shy._ ''Kupo!'' _Mog walks to the bedspread, holding the medicine. He rests the bottle onto _Faris' dresser. ''Well, see you later I'm sleepy. bye!'' _Picking up Mog, Faris hugs him. Mog's redder than ever!_ ''Bartz, I'll talk to you tomorrow.'' _While Faris heads downstairs, I grin. '_'Job completed, huh?''

''Job? So, you want me to be happy?'' _Drat, she heard me._ ''Well, um, yeah. Seeing you fight so hard to be content isn't a thing I would ever want to see. Neither you, Krile (and all of her pets), and Lenna. You've been with us for such a long time you're family. That's how I see all of you in my eyes.'' ''Family? You accept me that much?'' ''Accept? There's no standards I set, that's not me! Think of it as you crew, Faris. After you became captain, did you ever push away people due to standards?''_ Shaking her wrist, Faris smirks._ ''No, but I know where you're talking about.''_ What is so funny to her?_

''Bartz, the only thing you organize for is chocobo racing. Where's Boko, anyway?'' _There she goes with the ''farm boy'' thing, again._ ''Chocobo racing is fun!'' I poke Faris' cheeks and she slaps them away playfully.

* * *

_Waking up in a daze, I stroke... hair?_ ''How did I get onto the bed?'' My head leans over to the side, touching someone's shoulder. ''You awake yet?'' ''Oh, Faris! I...'' ''You wouldn't wake up, so I sat here for the last fifteen minutes.'' ''Is it morning yet?'' _Faris lures me close, brushing my hair back to normal._ ''Your hair is so nice; I like the color netter than mines. Brown, not light brown either. I prefer darker shades of color better.'' Is she sleepy? Is that why she's letting me talk to her so much?

''Faris, are you okay? Did you take the medicine Mog gave you?'' _Blushing, Faris nods her head._ ''Some guy keeps asking me if I'm really part of the disappearance of the people in Tycoon. Three days ago he rudely denied our journey defeating Exdeath and protecting the crystals. ''Who's this guy? Is he old and delusional? If so, then I already can guess what's going on.'' _Scent from the open window blew it's way past the roof. I'm guessing it was the smell of rain, but today my prediction my nostrils. Knocked out from exhaustion, Faris continues to rest by me._

_Flames rose to the bottom of the trees, and outside stood several men. Armed with guns and rising their flags in the air, I wake Faris._ ''There's no time to explain, hurry!_'' Without hesitation we escape the room, bumping Krile and Lenna._ ''Those guys! I've seen them with that wretched old punk! They're the ones who took the torches and lighted up the inn!'' Krile gasps. ''Mog, Clover! Where are they? I-I can't let them die!'' _How can we possibly find them easier without splitting up? _''Krile_, _you stay here_._ I'll get them; and please don't wait for me! Exit the inn. If that's not an option, go now!'' Dashing off to Lenna's room, Faris takes the risk of death.

''No, Faris! Come back!'' _Lenna screams__ loudly, not accepting Krile's force of blocking her path. _''Run out the front, I'll help Faris.'' _Krile and Lenna finally give up, heading outside the inn. When I kick the door open, I see that only Mog is present; no Clover. Faris stuffs a small medicine bottle into her pocket; holding Mog kept her at a disadvantage, holding her head to fight against the fever. However she speeds out the door with me, and we_ spot fl_ames from both sides off the inn, looking at the windows. Fire came half way up the glass._ ''Kupo!'' _Clover squeaks out a cry, rushing to us. Once I carry Clover in my arms, all four of us head outside. _


	4. Captured By A Knight

**Chapter 4: Captured By a Knight**

Ashes layed on the land of Ismon, blowing through the air from a storm. Bartz stood in shame at the disappearance of everything that used to exist. He couldn't bear the fact that he didn't suspect that old man sooner. ''Ku...'' Patting Bartz's head, Mog points to Lenna, whom was alone by a wind drake that was left by it's owner. ''A wind drake? I thought only chocobos were brought in for transportation. Bartz runs to Lenna, glancing at the blue wind drake.

''He's not feeling well, and at this rate...'' Lenna stares at the wind drake, sadly rubbing his back. ''Go check where everyone else is. See, Krile is right over there.'' _Yes, only Krile, but what about what Faris?_ Lenna held out her pendant to Bartz. ''No idea; all I know is that I need her right now.'' _Need her? For the dragon? I thought Lenna knew about wind drakes more than any of us. _''Wait, so you think Faris knows something about healing wind drakes that you don't?'' ''No Bartz, that's not it!'' Tears streaming down her face, Lenna sighed. _I won't show him that I'm crying; relying on a man for confidence makes you weak._

''Oh, I see. You need Faris for the comfort.'' ''No, but she's my sister and I miss her...'' ''Halt!'' A group of knights surround the ashes that used to be Ismon. Turning to what's going on, Bartz sees Krile held by two knights. ''Move and this girl will die!'' Terrified, Krile clutches Clover to her chest. ''What did I do?'' A knight armed with a dagger steps forward. ''She's part of an alliance that burned down Ismon!'' ''What the hell? We didn't burn down Ismon!,'' Bartz said. _Angry, Bartz grabs his sword. I just might have to fight all of these guys..._

'' Lock the other girl locked up. Go, now!'' _Other girl? Wait... could that be...? _Another knight in armor grabs a girl by her arm. ''Don't touch me!'' Her blond hair hangs over her left shoulder. ''Faris!'' Lenna sees Mog fly off Bartz's shoulder, fearless strike each knight. ''Come back, Mog!'' Running to protect Mog, Lenna shields Mog. ''Stay back, we'll attack both of these women if you don't surrender.'' Faris grabs Krile, until one knight gets his sword out. ''Stay back!''

''They're coming with us; come along now!'' The head of the knights laughs, patting the old man' shoulder who lit Ismon on fire with a few other men. ''He told us so. Amazing how you can betray Tycoon, Princess Lenna. Lenna shakes her head. ''Betraying Tycoon, I'd never do that! Unhand my sister!'' The old man chuckles, pointing at Faris. ''She's your sister?'' The leader of the knights stares at her for a moment. ''She's your sister? Hm, didn't see such a thing coming.'' Angry, Faris kicks the knight. Holding his sword to his waist, he smiled at his actions. ''So, she's Sarisa? I guess we got ourselves a fine catch today!'' ''Let Krile go, and stop harassing my sister Lenna. Let Bartz be, and the moogles. Faris' eyes grew darker, more serious and violent. ''You you don't have value your own life? Ah ha ha ha!'' ''Lenna take care of that wind drake, he'll grow to like you.'' Faris gives her sister a sly smile. ''Faris! Don't let capture you! Not for me! I won't let that happen!'' Bartz rushes to the knights, swinging his sword. All of the knights charged after him, and the leader stayed behind. ''Don't think you'll escape, traitor! You know what did as a child!'' _As a child? _Faris clenched her teeth and her fists in a tight bundle.

''You betrayed King Tycoon again once more! Sad that your own daughter goes for the sea on purpose, huh? Taking off his helmet, the knight named Charles tries to rub Faris' hair, and she bends his arm as hard as she could. ''Aargh!'' Charles moaned in pain, until a fist hammered his face. He'd be lucky to not have his teeth punched out. However, Faris isn't the type the type of person to lightly cause pain.

* * *

West of Ismon stood Raina, a stormy land that gave birth to knights, sorcerers, summoners, and mages. Rain drips down down the window panes of the shops as a girl stands under the blue pastel sky. She loved the damp soil under her shoes, caressed the soaked chocobos outside their stables, rode the horses at full speed,and kept her pet moogle with her at all times. Her chestnut hair hanged down her neck held by a shiny, purple ribbon. Tying up her ponytail tighter, she grabs a ribbon out of her pocket to tie around her moogle's neck. ''There we go! Aren't you glad we're going to Ismon soon?'' ''Kupo!'' ''I know! I can't wait to stay in the inn and be away from home!'' Sal stares at the dull movement in the sky. ''The sky, it's one of my favorite colors.''

''How's it going?'' A young man played with the girl's ponytail, untying her ribbon on accident. ''Oh, I'll put the-'' ''That's okay; you can keep my ribbon for now, Kakeru.'' Holding a letter in his hand, he gives Sal a cocky smile. Kakeru was tall, wore a topaz necklace, black clothes, and the worried look in his eyes gave him clues of his emotions. Offering Sal some ice cream, the two sit together on the steps of a bookstore. ''So, I heard about those knights capturing people in Ismon. Seems that they have a thing for blonds. Just kidding! Last time saw some girl those guys kidnapped, she didn't even know how to clean dishes!'' Sal giggles. ''So, what you're saying is that they're no good if they can't clean?'' '' Ah ha ha ha ha ha! No, I'm saying that these girls can't comprehend the skills learned by eight year olds, that's all. ''Why is this going on in Ismon? Me and Amy were planning on going there as soon as we can so we can get out of the rain for a while!''

Sal untied her hair and wrapped it around her fists., grinning at Kakeru as he threw his ice cream stick away. ''Well, it seems like more people are coming here; just doesn't seem right to take in innocent people. Kakeru saw a wagon come onto the streets, locked and carrying people. More wagons came in a formal line along the way. ''Those are.. the people they kidnapped? That's crazy!'' Sal stopped herself right in front of the soldiers. ''Step aside, these criminals we are dealing. We do not want you to get hurt!'' Out of the wagon comes a group of people from Ismon, depressed for being accused. ''Hurry up, pay for your crimes!'' Sal studies each individual separately, observing a girl holding a moogle with blond hair.'' _She looks so sad, I wonder what happened? And she has a moogle too..._ Clover peeks at Sal from behind Krile's leg. _Two moogles at that._ ''Don't worry you two; we'll make it.'' After encouraging Mog and Clover, Krile continues to walk.

_Sal knows what I'm thinking_, _I hope_. _I want to help those people so bad, but I can't get killed for people I don't even know. It's sort of far fetched. _Kakeru walks away with Sal, avoiding getting into a war zone.

* * *

''All right, you stay in the cell. Don't think about sneaking out either; it won't work.'' Krile was behind bars, seeing if any of her friends were in any of the other cells. Scanning the cells, she saw someone with brown hair, but it wasn't Bartz. Besides that, she was the only blond girl there so she knew better than to look for Lenna and Faris. _We're stuck in her for no reason. but why am I in here and not Bartz? He was tied up like everyone _else. _so why...? _Grabbing his sword was only out of luck; the old man wanted to ask him a few questions before he threw him in the chambers. ''Lenna, use your black magic'', Bartz whispers.''Well, here we are.'' Bartz jumps at his reaction at the croaky old voice that sprinted up his spine. ''W-what?'' ''About the girls... Sarisa, do you really want to be with her? A betrayer of her own father, a thief?'' Bartz looks at the old man, and frowns boldly. ''Faris, is no thief. How can she help it that she was drifted away from her home?'' ''Simple, she ran away. Cocky as a little brat, mm-hmm?'' ''Cocky? Shut up; you're the worst old geezer ever! Before you speak, try to sound intelligent!''

''Intelligence is in the heart, my son! It's one of those things that your, nor your friends, have.'' Angry, Lenna cats fire onto the bars of her cell. ''Hrmph! Little lady, stay in your place! Fire spells are useless against me!'' Running, Lenna tries her best to hold the old man down. ''Bartz! Lenna!'' Krile kicks the cells bar to get their attention, but to no avail. ''Tell us where Faris is!'', Lenna commands. ''I-I don't know; why should I?'' Lenna slaps the old geezer in his face, leaving a red bruise. ''You know, you just won't tell us!''_ Heh, he's just like every other scumbag out there, arrogant and vile until their taken down, that's when they curl up and get scared_, Bartz thinks to himself. ''Where is Faris! I will get the answer out of you!'', Bartz screams. ''Hurry up and answer us!'' ''D-don't know... She ran away, and gave a few of my soldiers a hard time. She gave one.. of them a black eye. Kicked one in the shin...''_ Wheezing, is he? Hope so, he deserves it..._ Lenna thought to herself.

''Didn't your father teach... wheeze.. her anything? S-she..'' ''Why act friendly to a group of lowlifes who capture you? That doesn't make any sense.'', Bartz replied. ''B-but..she harmed my soldiers...'' ''Big deal, you locked us up because you lied!'' ''Everything Bartz has aid is true.'', Lenna adds on the Bartz comments. ''I'll get Krile out of her cell, unless the old guy wants to fork other the keys.'' ''F-fine, take them. Don't get all sappy when my minions catch you...'' Giving Lenna the keys to the jail cells, she unlocks their cells. ''I will unlock everyone else here too. Bartz, Krile, after this look for Faris. I'll join you two later.'' ''All right. Krile, what do you want to do?'', Bartz asks. ''Go home, that's what.'', Krile replies in a sleepy voice.

Walking up the stairs, Krile sees Bartz's face with an tense expression. _He seems much more worried than usual. He's probably thinking about Faris. Those two have been together a lot lately._ ''Krile, look out for any of those soldiers. They seem to be around here everywhere.'' Giving her a weak smile smile, Bartz runs off to the second floor. _If Faris is hurt... all of these soldiers will suffer... _Drifting away from his thoughts, Bartz pushes the door open to the third floor, not yet knowing that he has left Krile behind on the second floor._ ''_Bartz_, _slow down! I know you're worried, but slow down!'' Upset, Krile turns to face Bartz. ''I_'_ll help too, Bartz. Just wait. I want to see if there's any other people here besides us.'', Krile whispers. ''Doesn't seem to be anyone running away here. Come on, I saw a library on the way here; Faris could be there.'', Bartz off another questionable smile.

At the library, Sal and Kakeru stayed in from the rain. There was no thunder, but there were guards that circled the nearby station where they could take away your life. ''Hey, there was another one!'' Kakeru laughed. ''Another what?'' Sal coughed; the rain really was irritating her today. ''Another blond girl. At last she doesn't look dumb. I saw her kick one guy in the shin and run for it though. Can't blame her, abduction is pretty much an excuse for idiots and psychopaths who basically want to put anyone on a lease as if humans are dogs; honestly I can't stand it.'' ''In that case, ask your bother if any escaped prisoners walked by. He knows the face of every one of them, and that girl is probably one of them.'' Chuckling, Kakeru gives Sal a soft slap. ''Are you kidding? I've never seen any girl who looks like she's own a ship before. Gave one of the soldiers a black eye too.'' Interested, Sal starts to ask Kakeru about where he's seen this before, until the noise of moving feet come up the stairs.

_I need to hide; sadly I picked the wrong place._ Pretending to observe a ripped book at one of the desks, Faris moves quickly to the bookshelves. ''That's the girl I was talking about about; she'd probably punch me if I said ''hi'' to her in shock.'', Kakeru whispers to Sal. ''I'll help her!'' Heading right by the third floor, Sal taps Faris' shoulder. ''Excuse me, do you need any help? Don't worry about hiding around here, I can help you head north.'' _Sal's crazy_,_ I hope this will not backfire out on her_, Kakeru says inside his mind. ''Running? Where do you get that assumption from?'' Hiding any signs of emotions, Faris moves away from the bookshelves in hesitation. _If this girl is part of those soldiers, then I won't hold back any fighting; that's just the way it is. '_'Don't think about following me either, it won't work._''_ ''I'm not part of the army, but my friend has a older brother that helps out ''prisoners''._ I'm not believing you; does she really think I look that dumb?__ I wonder how Lenna dealt with people like this everyday in the castle, I wouldn't be able to accept their landfill of kindness and I'd just tell them to shut up. _Coughing, Faris feels her lungs getting weaker. _This isn't good, my breathing track is suffering at the moment.__ Should I really let this girl help me? _Leaning to the library's wall, Faris coughs.

Kakeru runs over to Faris, Holding her up off the wall. ''Come on, let's send her to my brother, he should know what's wrong with her.'' Faris' eyes closes in a daze, and she wakes up in a room that smelled nothing like Tycoon's castle. The air was filled up with the scent of honeysuckle that sat at the open window. _So, this is where I am now. Lenna must be the most worried of all them, probably running to even check to corners for me. I know how she must feel, but...__ I don't I'll understand how she can go on like that; she probably remembered me even when I wasn't around, gone being raised as someone that wasn't meant to be. _''Hey, wake up.'' Faris eyes land on Kakeru, playing around with the honeysuckle plant's petals. He adored them in Sal's hair when she was a tiny child; he'll never forget plucking each one out of her head. ''Is anyone looking for you? If so, do you want me to track them down? It's not a problem, really._'' _Staring at the wall, Faris coughs. ''No, don't do that...'' Her voice had died out; however much she tried to raise it. ''Repeat that for me, I couldn't hear you. Sorry.'' ''It's not your fault I'm sick.'' _Good thing I got that out of my throat,_ Faris thought to herself.

''Oh, so you need some medicine! Never mind about telling how it happened, nor do you need to respond to my speech.'' Sal enters the door, placing a cup of water on the fine wood drawer. ''Did she tell you her name?'' ''Nope, she's sick, her voice is really dying out. Luckily there's medicine in this drawer.'' Opening up the drawer, Kakeru grabbed out a few pills for Faris. Sal places her hand on Faris' head, and takes it off in worry. ''Who's looking for you?'' _I don't think I should mention their names, especially Bartz; I feel so awkward saying his name now. They are here helping me though, so I'll say his name first__ to get it out of the way. ''_Bartz, Lenna, and Krile. Lenna worries about too much, she's my sister. I don't know how she's known me for so long with me being like this.'' ''Lenna? As in princess Lenna? You're her sister? No wonder, I heard she was very caring.'' ''Yes, but why is she so sympathetic? Guess I'm immune to such things. Poor Lenna, worrying about me.'' Sal smiles, connecting about how Faris feels. ''It's because Lenna sacrifices herself for others, so it's automatically a symptom for her to protect others.''

_

* * *

_Yes, chapter four is finally up here! I loved the way I wrote about Faris being so stubborn; I always see her like that through my eyes. Bartz was another one of my favorites, worrying about Faris so much. I'd love to say more but you already know how much I loved everything about this chapter._  
_


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